Real Madrid versus Deportivo.
Tweet.
The match kicked off to thunderous cheers from the home crowd.
Despite being an away fixture, Real Madrid were given odds of 1.64, showing how many people expected a Real victory.
But from the opening moments, the match began to unfold in an unusual way.
"This is definitely a foreign color for our team."
Watching from the bench, Schuster felt it clearly.
Last season, Real Madrid were best suited to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.
But today's starting formation was a 4-3-1-2.
There were no wingers like Robinho or Robben in their usual roles.
Instead, Raul was positioned as an attacking midfielder in the space between the lines, Van Nistelrooy played as the right-sided striker, and Robben was placed as a left-sided wing forward.
Ramos, the right full-back, was instructed to push forward aggressively.
It was an asymmetrical system that aimed to dominate both the center and the flanks, a bold challenge from Schuster. If even one of the three failed to perform, the entire concept would collapse.
However, if its strengths could be maximized, the attacking power would be overwhelming.
"To the point where people forget Robinho ever existed."
Many fans still felt nostalgia for Robinho.
Schuster felt the same, but now it was time to move on.
"Real Madrid has to show that we are strong even without Robinho."
The first step always mattered.
That was why today's match was so important.
The key lay with Raul, who had been given a free role.
Schuster shouted sharply from the touchline.
"Keep checking each other's positions. No one loses focus."
[Bernd Schuster truly lives up to his reputation as an experimental and unpredictable manager. He's boldly abandoned the old style.]
[It seems to be an attempt to fill the void left by Robinho. But how many players in the world can truly replace him? Real Madrid earned 43 million euros from the transfer, but whether that was a wise deal will be answered by today's match. All they need is a win.]
21st minute of the first half.
The midfield was completely under Real Madrid's control.
Mahamadou Diarra anchored the third line with his tireless work rate, while Zidane and Sneijder exchanged passes in midfield, calmly building play.
Zidane's physical abilities had declined since last season, but his command of build-up play remained intact.
Maintaining a pass accuracy above 90 percent, he helped push possession up to 60 percent, effectively turning Deportivo's midfield core Julian de Guzman into a bystander.
It was total dominance.
Real Madrid's superiority in physical battles was reflected clearly in their pass completion rate, total passes, and possession.
But.
"They're giving up all the substance."
Watching from the bench, Ho-young viewed the match critically.
Having more possession looked advantageous, but in reality, Real Madrid had not created a single clear chance.
Instead, Deportivo had already recorded a shot on target, giving them the edge in efficiency.
The problem was that Real Madrid were failing to capitalize on their control of midfield.
"The link between midfield and attack isn't smooth."
There was dissonance.
The players had not fully absorbed the tactics.
On top of that, Deportivo were no pushovers.
They looked every bit like a rising force in La Liga, a team that had not lost easily to Real Madrid for years.
They deployed their ace, Andres Guardado, on the left wing to target Real's right side. With his excellent delivery, he threatened Real repeatedly with sharp crosses.
Ramos tried desperately to contain him, long hair flying, but there was simply too much space on the flank for him to handle alone.
As halftime approached, Van der Vaart, seated next to Ho-young, spoke with an anxious expression.
"When do you think they'll score?"
"It'd be lucky if we don't concede."
"Well, yeah. Honestly, it looks a bit dangerous."
"More than anything, there are too many crosses coming in. Still, having Pepe and Cannavaro in the box is reassuring."
"True."
Ho-young's reading of the game stood out.
More precisely, it came from the tactical understanding he had gained from Carlos.
Watching from outside the pitch made the flow of the match even clearer.
"So which one of us do you think will go on first?"
"At this rate, neither of us might even step on the pitch."
"Hmm. They really need to score quickly."
"Yeah. That's the only way we get a chance."
"Tch."
Two men desperate for their La Liga debuts.
Ho-young and Van der Vaart watched the match, sharing the same frustration.
It was a form of torture in its own way.
Their mouths went dry as they watched both halves.
But the goal refused to come.
Finally, around the 72nd minute of the second half.
Robben forced the ball in from a near-impossible angle, giving Real Madrid the opening goal.
Still, the performance remained unconvincing.
Schuster eventually substituted Van Nistelrooy off and brought on defender Michel Salgado.
Around the 85th minute, Raul was replaced by Gago.
The intention was clear, protect the single goal and see the match out.
"Damn."
"Hell."
Ho-young and Van der Vaart sighed at the same time.
At this point, a Round 1 debut was effectively gone.
There was one substitution left, but coming on now would mean nothing.
They would only be defending, not attacking.
In simple terms, time-wasting.
In the end.
Real Madrid dragged out a dull match and secured a 1-0 victory.
They earned three points, but it was far from a performance worthy of praise.
The world-renowned statistics site WhoScored.com handed out poor ratings to Real's attackers for their lack of effective buildup.
Many fans were satisfied with the win itself, but those who had hoped for explosive attacking football could not hide their disappointment.
At least, on the same day, Guardiola's Barcelona lost to Numancia, which softened the blow for Real fans.
The real issue was the media.
Covering both matches, sports outlets across Spain seized the moment to release provocative headlines.
[Barcelona's Messi plays the full 90 minutes, completes 8 dribble runs, but scores no goals. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Ho-young remains on the bench.]
[Both teams feel the absence of Ronaldinho and Robinho. Messi and Ho-young, touted as their replacements, what did they actually do?]
[Don Balón Exclusive, Messi already misses Ronaldinho's playmaking.]
[Marca Exclusive, Ho-young's delayed debut may be Schuster's consideration for a future Champions League debut.]
[Who will be the first of Real Madrid's new signings to debut? Enormous interest, with Rafael van der Vaart ranked overwhelmingly first.]
As these tabloid-style articles spread across Spain.
Real Madrid quietly began preparations for Round 2 of La Liga.
The match took place two weeks later, on September 14.
Kickoff was at 7 p.m.
The venue was Real Madrid's home ground, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Being a home match, it was arguably even more important than Round 1.
But fate was cruel.
Real's opponent was Numancia, the same team that had beaten Barcelona in the opening round.
Their full name was Club Deportivo Numancia.
A newly promoted side from the Segunda Division.
Ho-young, who had played for Castilla last season, had faced them twice before.
That made it impossible for him not to feel hopeful today.
"Today, there's a good chance I'll debut."
As expected, Ho-young once again made the substitute bench, firmly seated at the Bernabeu.
This time, the feeling was different.
And.
"Against a team just promoted from the second division, we'll win easily. Then Schuster will bring us on in the second half."
Van der Vaart, also on the bench, looked just as hopeful.
"I've got a good feeling today."
"No doubt about it. Today is the debut."
Perhaps because they were in the same situation, the two men looked close despite the ten-year age gap.
Soon, as both teams' starting players emerged from the tunnel, Real Madrid's anthem echoed across the pitch.
Around 80,000 fans sang along.
Just listening to it felt cleansing.
Moved by the sacred, majestic melody, Ho-young felt his chest swell.
The match soon began.
Once again, Ho-young and Van der Vaart waited for their turn, talking quietly.
"It's much better than last time. The attack feels smoother."
"I agree. Being at home really helps. Everyone's movement looks sharp."
As they said, Real Madrid dominated from the start.
It already looked like a one-sided match.
And then, the team's finisher showed his instinct.
Van Nistelrooy, the square-jawed, all-purpose striker.
Thud.
"Yes."
Robben's cross met Van Nistelrooy's header, opening the scoring for Real Madrid.
It was the 15th minute of the first half.
"Good, let's keep this going."
As Ho-young hoped, Real Madrid added another goal early in the second half through sheer dominance.
Then, in the 57th minute, with the score at 2-0, Van der Vaart brought up something interesting.
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"There's betting on who among us will debut first on Bwin."
"Bwin is our shirt sponsor."
"You didn't know they're a major European betting company?"
"I knew that, but I didn't know they went that far. I've only seen bets on who scores first."
"There's nothing they don't cover. There's even betting on who scores their debut goal first between us."
"That's wild. So who's the favorite?"
"Obviously me. Bet on me and I debut first, it's 1.61. Bet on you and you debut first, it's 3.75. Everyone I know put money on me."
"Oh."
Most gamblers expected Van der Vaart to debut first.
It made sense.
He was already a proven first-division player in the Bundesliga.
On top of that, he was the inaugural Golden Boy winner.
No matter how versatile and in-form Ho-young was, Van der Vaart seemed the safer bet.
That was why he was confident.
"There's always an order to things. Elder before younger. I go first."
The moment he said that.
Schuster's voice rang out.
"Ho-young, warm up."
"!"
It was a decision fitting of Schuster's experimental nature.
The first to be called was Ho-young.
"Heh. The underdog hits."
"Damn."
"Raffie, sit tight. You'll get your chance soon."
Leaving the disappointed Van der Vaart behind, Ho-young stepped onto the pitch.
Before entering, he steeled his winning mentality.
His first stage.
He was nervous, but confident as well.
On September 1.
He had fully acquired Elastic Muscles of the Black Panther (U).
And earlier today at 1:30 p.m., he had successfully absorbed Riquelme's Extraordinary Ball Keeping (S+).
And now.
[Time required to fully acquire Thunder Thighs of Cha Boom (L): 140 days → 70 days.]
Today marked day one since he began absorbing the monster's thighs.
Perhaps not debuting in Round 1 had been a blessing.
Today felt like the perfect moment for a spectacular debut.
Looking at his already solid thighs, Ho-young rubbed his studs against the turf.
Soon, his name appeared on the scoreboard.
[OUT 18. Sneijder]
[IN 10. Ho-young]
A number traditionally reserved for the ace.
Ho-young stepped on wearing number 10, just as he had wished.
It was a declaration of intent, to inherit the legacy of the former number 10, Robinho, and fill his void.
As Ho-young appeared, thunderous applause erupted.
"Ohhh!"
"He's finally on."
"We've waited long enough. Go score one."
Having joined the youth system three years ago and carried the fans' expectations ever since, this reception was only natural.
"Let's go."
Suppressing his pounding heart, Ho-young stepped onto the pitch to the applause of nearly 80,000 fans.
Santiago Bernabeu.
Unable to resist, he knelt and grabbed the grass with both hands.
It had taken six years to reach this place.
A short time, or a long one.
Bathed in the moonlight shining over the stadium, Ho-young took the baton from Sneijder.
Deployment.
With this, Sanson's record of 15 years, 8 months, and 11 days as the youngest La Liga appearance holder was erased from history.
Taking his place was Ho-young, aged 15 years and 60 days.
Tweet.
The match resumed.
And not long after.
"Young."
Thud.
Zidane's pass dropped perfectly to Ho-young's feet.
[A pinpoint pass from Zidane finds Ho-young.]
[Breaking Sanson's record by nearly six months, Ho-young touches the ball in La Liga at just 15 years and 60 days old. A truly historic moment.]
[At this very moment, all eyes in the stadium are fixed on Ho-young. No, the eyes of football fans around the world are locked onto his feet.]
Tap.
Ho-young returned a grounded pass to Zidane.
Every second felt precious.
It felt like just yesterday he was playing for Juvenil C, and now he was standing on the grass of the Bernabeu.
Three minutes after coming on.
Ho-young's palms were still slick with sweat.
His heart pounded as if it might burst out of his chest.
It was the same excitement he had felt back in 2002, the first time he touched a football on a school playground.
No, it was twice as intense.
Swish.
Ho-young continued exchanging passes, gradually finding his rhythm.
Little by little, he settled down.
Then.
Thud.
The ball came to him again.
It was a pass from Zidane, positioned as the right central midfielder, orchestrating distribution.
There was intent behind it.
Zidane never made meaningless passes.
Ho-young's eyes met Zidane's.
After countless exchanges in training, one look was enough.
Move forward. I'll cover the back.
Ho-young nodded and pushed higher up.
Raul, playing as the lone striker, dropped slightly and spoke to him.
"I'll control the attacking tempo. Stay just behind me. If we speed up, I'll raise my index finger. If we slow it down, my ring finger. On your debut, it's better to play safe than force things and make mistakes. Once fans label you useless, it becomes a headache."
"Understood."
Real Madrid's shining star.
Raul Gonzalez actively guided Ho-young, helping ensure a smooth debut.
Ho-young began syncing his movement with him.
The chance arrived about three minutes later.
(To be continued.)
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